Eurasian Hobby

Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) is a small, slim falcon with long pointed wings, dark upperparts, a boldly marked face and reddish feathers beneath the tail. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It hunts insects and small birds in swift aerial pursuit over wetlands, woodland edges and open country, and migrates long distances between Eurasian breeding areas and warmer winter quarters. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).